


A Thousand Reasons Why

by izadreamer



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chat being a good partner and cheering ladybug up, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 03:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5319254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izadreamer/pseuds/izadreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ladybug is feeling down and Chat Noir takes it upon himself to cheer her up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thousand Reasons Why

**Author's Note:**

> I had a mighty need for a fic about Ladybug’s view of Chat Noir. Also these two are adorable; how could I not write them?

One cold winter night, as they lie around on one of Paris’s many non-descript buildings to watch the stars, Chat turns to her and says, “I love you, Ladybug. Do you know why?”

Ladybug eyes him coolly, her usual good humor drained away by this week’s events. Chloe had mocked throughout the school day, her homework levels are at a new height, and Ayla is out sick, leaving Marionette alone and without an outlet. She half feels like screaming into a pillow and half like breaking down into tears.

She’s not in the mood to deal with Chat’s usual flirtations, even if his voice is oddly serious when he says this. In truth, Ladybug had gone out on patrol tonight in hopes it would distract her, and because she hadn’t wanted to see the disappointment on Chat’s face if she cancelled. Chat is remarkable expressive, and she’s too tired to bring herself to dishearten yet another friend.

She is starting to regret this decision. The cold air has done little to distract her from her negative thoughts, and Chat’s usual jokes are annoying instead of amusing. She also keeps randomly slipping on the tiles as they run, and every falter in her usual rhythm only sharpens the twisted knot of frustration in her chest.

 “Save it,” she tells Chat, trying to go for irritated but only sounding exhausted. Chat has bent his upper half to face her, propped up on his elbows, his face strangely solemn and eyes seeming to glow in the moonlight. She wishes they hadn’t decided to stargaze—all it has done is give Chat more opportunity to bother her.

“You’re kind,” Chat tells her, and smiles sweetly when she scowls at him, completely unrepentant about ignoring her request. “You’re compassionate, and levelheaded, and sweet.”

“You can stop,” Ladybug snaps, eyes averted, legs drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She hunches in on herself in a futile effort to escape Chat’s focused stare. She isn’t sure what to do with his praise. It is always hard to tell if Chat is serious or not, if his words are just another flirt or an honest compliment.

“I shan’t,” Chat declares dramatically, and she glances over to see him sit up, leather-clad hands outstretched toward the full moon above them. His smile is wide and sharp, his teeth gleaming. “The whole world must know of my lady's importance and beauty!”

“Chat,” she says, slightly pleading. “I’m not in the mood, okay?”

“I know,” he replies, and his smile fades ever-so-slightly, his hands drooping back down by his sides as he shrugs. With one fluid movement he leaps to his feet, quickly moving in front of her. He crouches down and takes both of her hands in his, and Ladybug is so startled by the sudden action that she doesn’t try to pull away.

He smiles at her, and the expression is so soft and sweet and so unlike his usual flirtatious smirks that it freezes her in place. She stares up at his unearthly green eyes and can’t bring herself to look away, captivated by the honesty she finds there.

“You’re strong,” he says, quiet and earnest, eyes searching her face for any sign of emotion. “Confident. Smart, too! No matter how weird the item you always figure out a way to use it, and you’ve saved my butt way more than I’ve had to save yours.”

He laughs, continuing his list with ease, never pausing and never having to stop and think about his next words. “You’re also occasionally funny, a great secret-keeper, and absolutely, undeniably beautiful.”

Ladybug gapes at him, just a bit, before snapping her jaw closed. Beneath her mask, she can feel her cheeks burn. She ducks her head, more like Marinette than Ladybug in this moment, and mumbles, “How can you say that? I’m wearing a mask; you don’t know what I look like for certain.”

Chat laughs at that too, and leans forward, bumping their foreheads together in a comforting and affectionate gesture. “Who says I need to? With all those wonderful qualities, how could you _not_ be beautiful?”

He squeezes her hands. “So whatever’s bothering you—don’t let it. You’ve faced off terrible creatures and monsters with me on a daily basis! You’ll find a way through this, too.” He beams at her, eyes crinkling shut.

Ladybug feels her throat close up, her eyes hot and burning with tears. She feels a sudden rush of affection for her partner, for Chat in all his simplistic, flirty, and heartbreakingly honest glory. Not for the first time, she wishes she knew him as Marinette as well. With Chat by her side, she thinks—she _knows_ —that she would be able to do anything. It’s just the way they are.

She swallows down the sudden wave of longing, the deep ache in her chest genuine and unfathomable. She’s not entirely sure how she feels about Chat Noir; only knows that she loves him, most certainly. He is her best friend, her partner, her other half.

Maybe she’ll never love him like he loves her, but his opinion will always matter to her. It’s why she’s never dared take off the mask around him, both for worry that he will disappointed by her real self and because of the deep-seated fear that one day that secret could be used to hurt him.

"You’re ridiculous,” she says softly, almost laughing the words, smiling weakly as he pulls away. His expression is one of great satisfaction from coaxing a laugh from her, and his green eyes are shining with adoration. He laughs again, loud and relieved, plopping down beside her to lean against her, nudging her gently with his shoulder.

“It’s all one hundred percent true,” he informs her, and after a hesitant pause, tentatively leans forward and presses a quick and hasty kiss on her cheek. Ladybug freezes, her heart stuttering and face burning. His lips are soft and cool on her skin, and the feel of them lingers on even after he pulls away.

Chat’s expression is sheepish, a light blush dusting his cheeks. This time, he is the one to avert his eyes, a silly smile curling his pale lips.

“You’ve always been amazing, Ladybug,” he says, flickering his eyes up to catch her gaze, voice uncharacteristically gentle. “Just… know that, okay? You are _amazing_.”

Ladybug brings up a hand to where he’d kissed her, and can’t find it in herself to be annoyed with him. Instead she feels very suddenly warm, the weight in her chest melting away and her smile rising unbidden to her face. She breathes in and the air is sharp and crisp in her lungs, feeling free and unburdened, her negative thoughts chased away by the stark sincerity in Chat’s voice and the tenderness in his kiss.

“You’re amazing too, Chat,” she tells him finally, carefully leaning back against him. “And… thanks.” She presses a kiss of her own to his cold cheek, and doesn’t wait to see his reaction, just darts to her feet and dashes to the next roof, smiling fondly when she hears him splutter and try to catch up.

Chat’s words of _You’ve always been amazing_ echo through her head, and as she flies through the air and races the wind, remembering the heartfelt way he had said the words, she can almost believe him. 

 

 


End file.
